


Give a Little Bit of Your Love to Me

by LadyFrandrews



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: 100 ways to say i love you, M/M, Some Canon, Some Canon AU, some AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:07:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 14,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24474772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyFrandrews/pseuds/LadyFrandrews
Summary: I found this prompt of 100 ways to say I love you on Tumblr.Been stuck with what to write next, so I'm hoping this helps me figure something out.Each chapter will be an individual prompt. Word-count will vary.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Comments: 14
Kudos: 85





	1. 1. Pull over. Let me drive for a while.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy's POV.
> 
> Little piece of AU. 
> 
> Going to California.

* * *

Billy was tired of watching the desert pass by out the window and turned to look at the brown-haired beauty driving _his_ car. Princess looked good riding shotgun, even better sprawled across the back seat with Billy between his legs, but he looked downright ethereal driving the Camaro at night, moonlight streaked across his face with help from the soft glow of the dash. 

  
He really looked at Steve and noticed that he was fading. Billy glanced at the clock and noticed that he’d been out for at least two hours and staring out the window for one. Steve had been driving since they stopped for breakfast. The sun had set hours ago. 

  
“Babe,” he said, making sure Steve looked at him, “Pull over. Let me drive for a while.”

  
Steve game him a soft smile and nodded. He maneuvered the car off to the shoulder—which was pointless, there was literally no other vehicle on the stretch of road.   
Once Steve parked the car Billy opened his door and walked around the front of the car. Steve still hadn’t moved so he opened his door for him. Helped pull him up to his feet.

  
“Hi,” he said softly once they were face-to-face.

  
“Hi,” Steve said before pressing forward and kissing the corner of Billy’s mouth.

  
“Get some rest, Pretty Boy. I’ll cover the rest of the ride. I think the sign said 47 miles to Yuma. We can hit the I-8 in the morning.”

  
“Okay,” Steve said, pulling Billy closer, wrapping his arms around Billy’s waist. 

  
“You want to lay down in the back until I find us a motel?”

  
Steve shook his head, “No, I’m good.”

  
Billy spun them around, kissing Steve before unwrapping from each other and climbing into his driver’s seat. He watched Steve walk around the front of the car. Watched as he climbed into the passenger seat and buckle up. 

  
He shifted into drive and hit the gas. He put his hand down on the console because Steve had the habit of wanting to hold his hand when they were driving.   
He feels fingers link with his own and when he glances over at Steve, he’s already looking at Billy.

He squeezes his hand three times. 


	2. 30. One More Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve's POV.
> 
> Set in season 3. Not necessarily canon-compliant.

* * *

Steve wasn’t surprised per se when he entered his bedroom to find the small light on his nightstand on. Nor to find the person lounging in his bed with a book opened and reading glasses on. Those are his favorite secret about Billy Hargrove he’s learned so far, well one of them anyway. 

  
“How was Scoops?” Billy asked as he kept his attention on the book in front of him.

  
“I hate children!”

  
“No, you don’t.”

  
“Fine, I hate children that aren't my nerds,” Steve mumbled.

  
Billy finally looked at him and smiled, “Come on, I’ve just gotten to the end of chapter nine, I can read chapter ten while you drift off.”

  
“Okay.”

  
Steve stripped down to his briefs and then went into his bathroom to brush his teeth and at least use a washcloth to wipe work off of him. Even though Billy said sometimes he smelled extra sticky-sweet and would breathe in Steve’s neck. He’s so weird. 

  
He climbed into bed next to Billy, both of them shifting so Billy could put an arm around Steve, and Steve could rest against his chest. 

  
“Hi, Bill,” he said softly, entwining their fingers together, before bringing Billy’s hand up for a quick kiss to his knuckles. 

  
“Hi, Pretty Boy,” Billy says into Steve’s hair, pressing a soft kiss to his crown. 

  
Steve let’s go and settles in, watching Billy’s hands situate the book to read.

  
“One more chapter?” he asks.

  
“One more chapter,” Billy says.

  
Steve makes it a page and a half in before he realizes he’s drifting off to the soft tones of Billy’s voice. Billy doesn’t like to read out loud, but he’ll do it for Steve. He does it for Steve. 


	3. 59. Wow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy's POV.
> 
> A different take on the junkyard scene.

Here’s the thing, Billy Hargrove is no idiot. He knew Max was doing something she had no business being a part of, especially if it’s running around with those nerds he’d seen her with at school. He doesn’t necessarily like having followed her and her little wannabe boyfriend out to the woods and then to what now appears to be a, well, it’s a goddamned, honest-to-god junkyard. 

  
He was surprised that his bike had made it all the way from California with their stuff. He was sure that the old man would’ve hocked it or just left it. He hides in the tree-line, watching for a while as Max and whatever the kid’s name is talk. They’re waiting he realizes as they keep glancing around towards the train tracks. 

  
Sure enough, sometime later the kid stands up and leaves Max by the bus they’d parked themselves at. The kid was smitten with Max. Billy could tell. But she was definitely giving the same vibes. 

  
He didn’t dwell too much on that because as soon as he followed the boy’s movements, he turned his gaze past him, to see Harrington and the curly-haired weirdo. They were throwing what Billy could only assume was raw meat from buckets with yellow gloves, and _what_ the _fuck_ was on Harrington’s back? Was that a baseball bat _with_ nails?

  
This town really was a wasteland. Billy hated how uncomfortable it made him upon their arrival. 

  
He watched as they briefly argued, then as Harrington said something to all of them that had Max moving shit around, bringing stuff over to the bus. That was a lot of sheet metal. 

  
Billy watched Harrington yell at the two boys before they too joined Max in what Billy’s certain is fortifying the bus. Again, what the fuck?  
What is going on?

  
He wants to approach but realizes that as the sun begins to set, he wants to wait this out. Wants to know what’s happening and why Max is being so secretive around the house. 

  
He looks around and finds some cars he can easily maneuver himself into to keep watch and stay out of sight. 

  
His new vantage point keeps him hidden, not that he thought things through. The sun was setting and Hawkins was no California. He was still in his workout shirt and it was starting to get chilly. 

  
But he was stubborn and wanted, no, needed to know what was going on. If Max wound up dead, he wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to be put in jail as the culprit. 

  
He watched as the buckets reappeared just before sundown and Harrington and the curly-haired kid dumped them out in a pile. What were they luring? A bear? A mountain lion? A wolf? Some stray thing?  
He was going out of his mind. It’d been a while and a fog had settled into the junkyard, and the chill in the air wasn’t so bad inside the hunk of rusting metal Billy was sitting in. His eyes were locked on the bus, which the quad had disappeared into hours ago. 

  
He’d heard a few sounds coming from the woods and chalked ‘em up to wildlife. He mostly ignored the sounds around him, focus solely on the bus just across the way.   
He’d noticed yet again, Max and the wannabe boyfriend atop the bus, sitting in some make-shift nest of an outlook. Kid even had fucking binoculars.

  
Something had spooked them because he saw Max dart down into the bus and the boy follow quickly behind. 

  
Billy heard some weird clicking sounds but still thought nothing of it because at that moment Harrington stepped out of the bus, securing the door behind him. Dude was seriously twirling the bat around as if he were at batting practice. Billy would deny it until the day he died, but dude had good form. Of course, Harrington would be the kind of guy to have great footing playing baseball and shit-all at basketball. 

  
Whatever else he was thinking died on the tip of his tongue when he noticed something moving towards Harrington. It looked like a dog. Were they really out here luring wild dogs? Jesus, where the fuck did the old man bring him?

  
Except when the dog met the pile of meat it’s head, _it’s whole fucking head_ , opened up like some crazy hibiscus flower and Billy nearly pissed himself. What the fuck was he looking at? What the fuck was Max involved in? And what the fuck was Harrington doing out there with it?

  
Billy watched, rooted to the spot, as the dog thing noticed Harrington and quickly abandoned the pile of meat and tried to stalk towards him. 

  
Billy watched as Harrington taunted the creature, drawing its attention to him for certain. Watched as Harrington planted his feet and swung. 

  
Movement caught Billy’s attention for just a moment and he realized there were more of those things. Did Harrington know? 

  
Billy wanted to do a few things in that moment—one of them was to yell at Harrington to be careful and also to call him fucking stupid because who does this? Who fights fucking dog monsters with a baseball bat? Fucking Steve Harrington, that’s who. 

  
He watches movement all around now. The wannabe boyfriend is frantically shouting from the top of the bus, pointing behind Harrington. The idiot’s surrounded. Pack mentality then. Makes sense when hunting prey. That’s not the point!

  
Billy can’t do anything but turn his attention back to Harrington. Watches as he swings and swings, hitting a few creatures before he realizes he’s outnumbered. The curly-haired kid and Max yank the bus door open and shout for Harrington to come on. 

  
Billy doesn’t even know he’s holding his breath because he doesn’t notice him taking a breath until the bus door closes just in time for one of those things to jump at said door. 

  
Billy is terrified, not for himself, but because there are monsters that are apparently fucking real and not human, and also Max and her nerds, and Harrington, are on that bus. 

  
He sees one climb up the hood and then to the roof—the hatch. Did they close it? Probably not. 

  
He’s looking around, what could he use to help fight them off and sees _nothing_.

  
He’s about to climb out himself when he sees the creatures stop and turn as a collective unit towards the same direction—fucking heebie-jeebies, man. Then they take off.

  
He watches as the quad slowly emerges from the bus, Harrington first, bat raised and ready for a strike. 

  
He doesn’t wait for them to disappear down the train tracks for long before he hauls ass home. What the fuck?

  
It’s not until he’s climbing out of his car at a creepy-ass looking house and Harrington walks out to greet him that his rage from dealing with the old man simmers—just a touch. 

  
They have words and he knocks Harrington to the ground because one, don’t fucking lie, and two, Billy’s not a fucking idiot. He knows what he saw. 

  
When he takes in the sight of all of Max’s nerds and fuck-all covering the walls, floors, and ceilings that Billy singles out the wannabe boyfriend. He hates putting Neil’s words in his own mouth but he’s got to at least let them know the old man won’t take too kindly to Max bringing him around. 

  
When Steve crashes in and demands him to go and then Steve throws a punch and well, Billy’s never taken kindly to people who hit him—no matter how fucking pretty they are. 

  
And Billy, Billy’s seeing King Steve, no, he's seeing _Steve_ ; he has to stop and think _Wow_. 

  
Shit. 


	4. 6. Have A Good Day At Work.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy gets a little flustered. Max gives him shit.

* * *

Billy would forever be grateful that he’s already been out in the sun so him flushing at Harrington’s words won’t be too obvious. 

  
But really? Dude’s wishing him a good day at work. He’s just dropped Maxine off from a morning at the arcade with the rest of her nerds, nods towards Billy, and does a once over. An actual-factual goddamn _once over_ — _after_ he pointedly _lifted_ his sunglasses. Pretty Boy looked every inch of Billy from head to toe and then had the audacity to say _Have a good day at work_ —complete with a _wink_ , a goddamn wink, before driving off. 

  
“ _Wow_ , just wow,” Max’s voice broke his train of thought. 

  
He glanced at her, forcing both of them to acknowledge that his attention is being shifted _from_ where Harrington’s car is fading in the distance _to_ her.

  
“What?” He asked, trying to sound annoyed—he failed. Miserably. They both knew it.

  
“ _Nothing_ ,” she says in that tone that Billy knows means she thinks he’s an idiot. 

  
“Seriously, what?” He asks again. 

  
She glances at him and then in the direction Harrington drove off in and shrugs.

  
“You’re really not going to tell me?” He hates the desperation showing in his voice. 

  
“You going to take me with you to work today?”

  
“I can if it gets me useful information.”

  
“Oh, it’s going to be useful and you’ll be offering me rides _wherever_ _whenever_ with no questions asked.”

  
“You’re awfully cocky, shitbird.”

  
She smirks, “You’re in love with him. It’s so painstakingly obvious to anyone who looks for it.”

  
He tries to cut her off but she’s not having it. Plus, if he says something it’s as much as an admission as it’s not a denial. 

  
“But he loves you too. He’s just a romantic, he always has been. He wants to court you like preppy rich boys are known for. You’re going to let him, _right_?”

  
Billy can’t bring himself to look at her. He’s afraid of what he’ll look like meeting her gaze. He’s embarrassed and hopeful and slightly terrified that she and her nerds are yanking his chain and Harrington’s in on it.

  
“What?” He feigns the worst kind of confused. 

  
She rolls her eyes, “You’re both morons. But he’s taking Lucas and Erica to the pool, that’s where he’s heading now. Ask him to eat with you on your break or something. You can get me and Lucas a pizza. Erica likes the rocket pops.”

  
She doesn’t wait for him to respond.


	5. 79. I'll Still Be Here When You're Ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve lets Billy know it's okay. He's not going anywhere.

“I, I _can’t_ , Steve, I just,” Billy trails off, looking desperate and terrified.

  
“Hey, hey, it’s _okay_ Billy.”

  
Steve pulls him closer, wrapping him securely in his arms. Wanting him to feel safe and wanted.

  
“Positive?” Billy asks, very tentatively into the crook of Steve’s neck. 

  
“Of course, whatever _you_ want, okay? Don’t, don’t feel like you _have_ to, okay?”

  
Steve feels him nod, pressing closer. He feels dampness on his shoulder. Feels the soft shakes as Billy tries hard not to outright cry in Steve’s arms. 

  
“I just, Steve, I, _I want to_ , I just, I’ve, I’ve _never_. Not, not, I was, I was too afraid to. Like, like I knew that if I did anything more than just kiss another boy my, my dad, he, _he’d just know_ and, and that’d be it. That’s the end for me.”

  
“Hey, I’m not going anywhere okay? _I’ll still be here when you’re ready_.”

  
“And if that’s never?”

“Then I’ll still be here.”

  
Steve felt Billy nod against his shoulder and they each pulled each other closer.


	6. 91. I Hope You Like It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy's POV
> 
> It's an honest-to-god mix-tape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I obviously don't own any of the songs mentioned.  
> They range from 1971-1983ish (if I recall correctly).

* * *

Billy wasn’t sure of what to make of Steve’s little _I hope you like it_. He just pressed a mix-tape into Billy’s hand and walked off. 

  
Billy knows it’s an honest to god mix-tape because he can feel its shape through the sheet of notebook paper wrapped around it. 

  
Steve’s been acting like a bitch in heat the last few weeks. Billy thought it had something to do with Wheeler trying to stick her claws back into him, but any time he’d catch a glimpse of the ice queen, she’d be locking lips with Byers, or they’d be walking with their arms around each other. 

  
He tosses the tape into his locker and slams the door shut before heading to practice. He’d ask Harrington what the fuck was going on.   
Except Harrington was nowhere to be found during practice. Thankfully for Billy, Tommy noticed the other boy’s absence and asked coach about it. Apparently, his parents needed to be picked up from the airport up in the city—he’ll be out of school until Tuesday. And apparently this was normal for the Harrington’s. 

  
Billy would lose his shit if Neil and Susan let him and Max miss school because they needed something from them. Then again, Harrington’s parents have the kind of money where they can afford to pull their kid out of school whenever they want. 

  
He usually doesn’t head back to his school locker after practice but with practice sans Harrington, his curiosity won and how he needs to know what’s on that tape.   
He knows Max keeps a beat-up Walkman her old man gifted her as one last-ditch effort to buy her affection. They aren’t cheap despite being popular. He promises her ten free rides, no questions asked, just to get it for however long it takes for him to get through Harrington’s tape solo.

  
He drops her off at the Wheeler house and drives off down a few streets away and parks. 

  
He’s anxious and he has no idea why. 

  
He has no reason to be. 

  
Except he hates that it takes him one and a half songs before he realizes that Steve made him an honest-to-god mix-tape. As in Steve is singing. Steve is playing instruments. 

  
Billy rips the headphones off and tosses the whole thing on his passenger seat. 

  
He knew the older boy liked the top 40 songs, that’s all he’d hear from his car whenever he chanced being close enough. The first song that he’d listened to was Nilsson’s Without You. Steve must’ve dug deep for that one, it’s over a decade old. Steve was in the middle of singing Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word by Elton John when Billy realized that it wasn’t those guys doing the singing, it was Steve. 

  
He could hear the song still playing from his passenger seat. 

  
He hates that he has the fleeting thought—did he ever make one of these for Wheeler?

  
He hits his steering wheel, then his dash, and lets out a harsh yell. Good. That’s over with. He picks back up Max’s Walkman with shaky hands and the moment he registers what song is playing he can’t help the laughter that erupts from him.

  
Of fucking course he’d put I’m Not In Love by the 10cc’s on this fucking disaster. If, and that’s a very large if, hypothetical if mind you, he was to ever make a mix-tape he’d have put this song on there too. 

  
He hates how much I’d Love You To Want Me by Lobo hits him. Steve knows what he’s doing and he’s good at it.

  
Fuck.

  
He realizes that there’s only room for one more song and he will never admit to anybody how his breath caught at the intro to the last song on side A. Billy likes to pretend he’s a music snob and promotes an image of himself that only listens to hard rock and metal, but he likes a little bit of everything. Which is why he immediately recognizes The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face by Roberta Flack.

  
He thought Lobo’s song hit him, no, this one took the cake. It’s a piece of work when you hear the raw emotions in Ms. Roberta Flack’s voice, but to have Steve—dare he say _his_ Steve—sing with the same emotions. Well, excuse him for having a goddamn moment in his car. 

  
He’d love to know what it feels like to be pressed close to Steve, sharing breaths before they share kisses. Wants to know what it would feel like to just lay with him, skin to skin, and just be, just exist in that moment with him. Billy knows he’s soft for Harrington. So long as he’s the only one who knows that, that’s fine. He has done very well keeping up appearances. 

  
He turns the tape over for the B-side and is momentarily let down when there’s no music after a few moments of listening to the static of a tape playing. He’s about ready to hit stop when he hears a shaky breath in his ear. 

  
_Hey, it’s uh, it’s me. Steve. But you know that because I uh, I gave this to you. Who else would it be?_   
_I, I, I hope you liked the other side. I just, I wanted, god Billy, what do you do to me? This is so stupid. I’m fucking stupid. What am I doing making you a mix-tape of love songs? You’re probably going to kick my ass. I guess I deserve it. For putting you on the spot like this._   
_But I mean them. The uh, the songs. I like you. Have for a while. I just didn’t know what to do about it. Please just, don’t, don’t tell anyone else about thi—about, about me. Please. You can do whatever you want with this. Burn it. Throw it away._   
_Did you even listen to it? I doubt it. Why would you?_   
_I’ll uh, if, if you did listen and you uh, you wouldn’t mind talking things through with me, I’ll be out at the quarry until it’s time to pick up the kids. If, you don’t, don’t feel obligated to show. Okay?_

  
The static takes over letting Billy know that Steve had stopped recording. Part of him wanted to keep listening to make sure that nothing else was on the tape, but he knew that was it. 

  
He glanced at the clock on his dash, Max had about an hour a half before she’d have to be picked up to be home on time. He glanced at the clock and then down at the Walkman, did that a few times. 

  
He had a choice to make. 


	7. 5. I'll Walk You Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve's POV
> 
> Steve attends a party with Nancy (after he's graduated)....so AU Post S2 into S3? 
> 
> Billy comes to his rescue.
> 
> First kiss of sorts.

“—ddamn loser, you shouldn’t even be here!” 

  
Steve shrank in on himself. Nancy had invited him. Robin had told him not to go, but she’d managed to get a date from some girl she’d been sending letters to from band camp the summer previous. Nancy had ditched him an hour ago.

  
And now, now he’s trying to shrink his tall frame down to as small as possible so the attention would shift from him while he tried to slink out of the party.   
But every single eye was on him. 

  
“What’s going on?” A new voice rang out over the crowd.

  
Steve flinched.

  
Of fucking course it’d be Billy Hargrove. He doesn’t know if Hargrove’s going to make things better or worse. 

  
“Some people just don’t know when high school’s over for them,” a smarmy voice shouted.

  
Hargrove made his way to Steve and looked him up and down before glancing around to the crowd surrounding them.

  
“Alright folks, let the man breathe. Show’s over,” Billy said motioning for everyone to disperse. 

  
Thankfully they did.

  
“Hey, Harrington, walk with me,” Billy says, not giving Steve room to deny following him. 

  
Once the front door was shut behind them, Steve looked at Billy still walking ahead of him, “What are you doing?”

  
“Come on, _I’ll walk you home_.”

  
Steve would have never expected those words to come from Billy Hargrove. 

  
“Why?”

  
Steve watches as Hargrove finally turns back around to face him.

  
“Because I want to, that okay?”

  
“I saw you with Sharon though, you, you uh, she looked pretty into you. You probably ruined your chances coming to save me,” Steve says lamely, trying to think of a reason why he would blurt that out.

  
“Sharon’s nice and all, but she’s not my type. She knows that. We were just having a bit of fun. What about you? You and Wheeler rekindling long lost love?”

  
“No!” Steve says a little too fast and a little too harsh. “I, I, we’re just learning to be friends again.”

  
“What about you and Buckley? You two an item?”

  
“Just friends. Best friends in fact. Why?”

  
Steve watched Billy shrug. 

  
They continued onwards in silence. Steve wasn’t sure what was going on, but Billy was leading him in the right direction to his house. Steve had initially ridden over with Nancy, she’d picked him up, but he’d told her he’d walk home. 

  
When the sign for Loch Nora was visible Steve couldn’t help but feel a little desperate. He hadn’t wanted Billy to rescue him from the verbal humiliation, but he was grateful that he held enough weight that everyone ignored Steve when he’d said so. 

  
“Uh, thanks man, for back there,” he said in hopes that he wouldn’t have to repeat himself.

  
“My pleasure, Princess.”

  
“Why do you call me that?”

  
Billy turned around and walked backward; “It’s what you are, right? Living all alone in your big fancy house, your loyal subjects dote on your every word, and you even needed a knight to come to your rescue.”

  
“That doesn’t sound very appealing when you put it like that.”

  
“At least you’re not forced into marriage like some princesses are,” Billy’s tone was light but Steve felt those words in the pit of his stomach.

  
“I’m pretty sure if they could they would,” he said softly.

  
“What?”

  
Steve just shrugged. He knows on some level his parents will do whatever they can to heavily influence Steve’s choice in a spouse. When the time comes. 

  
“I’ll never be happily married. They’ll make sure of it.”

  
“If they’re never here, how can they have a say in how your life turns out?”

  
“Your old man has a say in your life, right?”

  
Billy’s shoulders tensed and Steve was afraid he’d tell him to fuck off and leave him to walk home in the dark.

  
“Only until I leave. I’m under his roof, gotta live by his rules. But he and I know that once I’m able to, I’m gone.”

  
“Where do you plan on going? Back to California?”

  
“Pretty Boy, you’re smarter than you think,” Billy said with a wink in Steve’s direction.

  
“Where’d you used to live?”

  
“Blocks away from the ocean. Surfed every morning before going to school, tides allowing of course. Max tagged along a few times.”

  
Steve watched him as he talked about surfing. He looked genuinely excited about it. He was animated. His hands moved as he described some of the things he and Max used to do. Steve smiled when Billy mentioned that he was the one that taught her how to skateboard. 

  
Before long they were walking up Steve’s driveway and that desperate feeling returned in the pit of Steve’s stomach. He didn’t want to be alone but he wasn’t sure if their little walk and talk meant he could invite Billy in. Would he even want to come in?

  
“—h man, she’d wiped out hard. Thankfully she had all her gear on so only minor scrapes and bloodshed. Ah, well, this looks like you Princess.”

  
“Youwanttocomein?” Steve rushes out. 

  
Here’s the thing, he can see it all over Billy’s face that he wants to, but he’s still a little hurt when the other boy tells him no. It must be evident on his face because Billy quickly steps closer, putting a hand on Steve’s cheek. It’s warm and gentle and Steve goes hot.

  
“Hey, hey, come on, I would if I didn’t have Cinderella’s curfew. I still have to get back to my car and drive home.”

  
Steve nods into Billy’s palm. Billy’s thumb caresses his cheekbone.

  
“Thanks again,” Steve whispers into the space between them.

  
“Anytime, Princess,” Billy says just as softly. 

  
They haven’t taken their eyes off the other since they stopped at the foot of Steve’s porch. Billy takes a step closer. Steve can feel even more of his body heat radiating off of his exposed chest. 

  
“Are you sure you can’t come in? Maybe some water?” Steve asked.

  
He watched Billy’s eyes dart down to his mouth as he spoke. Watched as Billy bit his bottom lip before meeting Steve’s eyes again.

  
“I, uh, I can’t,” Billy gets out.

  
“Okay, just, uh, please, please don’t tell anyone about this. I, I don’t, I don’t need to give anyone more reason to kick my ass.”

  
“Don’t, don’t misunderstand me. I _want_ to come in. I do. I just, I can’t. Rules are rules, Princess.”

  
Billy moves the hand on Steve’s cheek so quickly and so smoothly that Steve doesn’t register the other boy’s moving in to kiss him until his own eyes slip shut at the press of lips against his own. It’s soft and gentle. Billy’s pressed chest to hip to him now and Steve immediately puts his hands on the other’s waist. 

  
When Billy pulls back and Steve opens his eyes, he can’t help the small, “Oh,” that comes out of his mouth. Steve knows in this moment his favorite color will forever be the color of Billy’s eyes in the soft porch light showing off happiness. 

  
“I’ll uh, see you around,” Billy says, slowly pulling back and away from Steve.

  
He gets a few steps away before he turns around. 

  
Steve lets him get a few more steps in before he speaks, “Some rules are meant to be broken, you know?”

  
Billy turns around, “I know. Tomorrow’s campaign is here, right?”

  
Steve nods.

  
Billy smiles, “It’s a date.”

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for the lack of anything more than giving out kudos and some comments on here.  
> Life is what it is.  
> I'm going through a divorce.  
> I found out I have lyme disease which caused Bell's Palsy in my face.  
> I was in my feelings and took the time to allow myself to have those feelings and feel them. 
> 
> My medications for treatment are working, I can already move my face more than I was in the last week and a half. My eye still leaks because it doesn't close completely so that's been fun.  
> My ex-husband is ignoring me and I'm a-okay with that. He's the one that initially asked for our break. I asked for the divorce--no contest. I wasn't going to stay where I am no longer wanted. 
> 
> I'm doing great, all things considered. I think that's what's putting a few people in my life off. They expect me to be a complete mess about things and I'm just not. I don't have time for it.
> 
> I'm ready for this next chapter and I can't wait to see what taking care of ME does. :)


	8. 67. I Did the Dishes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continued from Chapter 7 (I know I said that wouldn't happen but it did and it is what it is).
> 
> Mostly Steve POV
> 
> Billy does crash their campaign night at Steve's.  
> But he makes himself useful.
> 
> After all, some rules were meant to be broken.

“ _I did the dishes_ ,” Billy says plopping down on the couch next to Steve. Pressing his knee into Steve’s.

  
Steve glances down at the kids surrounding the coffee table—not one of them toss a look their way. 

  
He hadn’t known what to think when Billy stood behind Max at the door. To be fair, Max looked a little lost too.

  
He’d thought last night was a fluke. Like Billy was playing a sick joke on him. But he was here. He’d helped Steve make lunch and then even did the dishes after everyone was done eating. Will wanted grilled cheese and tomato soup and well, Steve has a hard time telling any of the kids no so that’s what they’d had for lunch. 

  
“Thank you,” Steve replied. 

  
“So how long does this usually take you guys to run?”

  
The kids all collectively turn to look at Billy. Max rolls her eyes. Mike scowls. Dustin tilts his head to the side and Steve’s momentarily terrified that he’s going to figure it out. Will looks down to where their knees are pressed together and smiles before answering.

  
“Usually about two hours. You play before?”

  
“Some friends back home were into this shit. I think I have a character sheet somewhere. I was a uh, barbarian I think it’s called.”

  
“Jane’s been looking for a barbarian!” Will exclaims.

  
“Tell you what, maybe next time she’s around I’ll give it a go. But can I steal Princess here while you guys play?”

  
“Are you going to beat the shit out of him this time?” Man, Henderson had no filter. Billy could appreciate it. Steve just felt humiliated. But he also found their protectiveness endearing. 

  
“Scout’s honor, no,” Billy answered.

  
“You were never a boy scout,” Max stated.

  
“Still not going to beat the shit out of him though, so we’re going now.”

  
Steve got to his feet and followed Billy out towards the kitchen, curious about what Billy had planned. The moment they’d rounded the corner Steve was pressed up against a wall with Billy pressing in close. Both boys reaching out to touch. Billy’s hands settling up near Steve’s shoulders. Steve’s down on Billy’s waist. 

  
“Hello, Pretty Boy,” Billy said softly, with a smile.

  
“Hi, Billy.”

  
“Told you I’d see you again. I think you mentioned something about some rules needing to be broken?”

  
“I sure did, but you might have to refresh my memory, what kind of rules are you trying to break, Mr. Hargrove?”

  
“Well, Mr. Harrington, I am feeling that you’re a very bad influence on me. Taking advantage of me being the new kid in town and all.”

  
“I’m the bad influence? And you’ve been here for like a year almost, you’re not the new kid anymore.”

  
Billy pressed closer, chest to chest, knees bumping, thighs brushing. Steve felt instantly hot from head to toe.

  
“I think you kissed me last night.”

  
Steve could only nod, his gaze dropping down to Billy’s lips. Watched as the younger boy licked them with his tongue, making them shiny and very enticing. 

  
“You’re not fucking with me, right?” Billy’s voice was so small and soft that Steve immediately met his eyes once again.

  
He brought his hands up to cup Billy’s cheeks, gently holding the other boy’s face in his hands.

  
“I would never do that to someone. It, it may have been done to me before but I, I’ve never, I wouldn’t, not, not to you,” Steve said. 

  
Billy nodded.  
And that’s all it took before they met each other, pressing their lips together. Steve’s hands slid back into Billy’s hair, and Billy’s appeared at Steve’s jawline.   
This kiss said everything. This was new. This was exciting. This was wanted.

  
“Fucking finally! Geeze you guys were disgusting making googly eyes at each other,” Mike’s voice interrupted their moment. 

  
They jumped apart and Steve felt his entire body flush in embarrassment. Billy flipped him the bird. 

  
Mike just rolled his eyes, “I’m getting drinks, I’ll be out of your hair in like a second.”


	9. 14. Can I Have This Dance?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve POV
> 
> After Steve drops Dustin off at the Snow Ball.

Steve hadn’t meant to get out of the car after dropping Dustin off. But he’d looked in the doors and saw Nancy. Saw how pretty she looked and was momentarily reminded of how happy he was with her. 

He knows now that they’d have never lasted past his graduation. They didn’t even make it to his prom. He’s happy that she’s happy. Dustin would probably tell him that’s growth as a human or something ridiculous. 

  
He walked around the school. Thinking off and on about his own days at the middle school. How much Tommy and he were like Mike and Will. He hopes that those two don’t turn out like he and Tommy have. 

He smiled to himself when he turned one corner and caught Joyce and Hopper sharing a smoke. He could go for a smoke himself, might help warm him up a little.

He continues onward around the school perimeter. Merely just wandering while waiting for the few hours until the dance is over. Two and a half hours is an awful long time when you’re at a middle school dance. 

He’s startled a few moments later when he turns one of the final corners, leading him back towards the dance entrance. Leaning against the wall, looking like every girl’s wet dream, was Billy Hargrove. Slowly working on his own smoke, staring off into the distance. 

Steve’s not sure what egged him to keep on going forward. He’d walk right by the other boy. Given their track record, neither of them will be able to just let the other pass without saying something. 

Although Hargrove had taken Max’s words to heart. The ones that Mike waxed poetic about for a moment, probably the first time he’d complimented Max since she’d arrived. Hargrove had been leaving them alone. In fact, Steve only saw the junior in passing when picking up and dropping off kids at their designated spots around town. 

“That you Harrington, or am I dreaming?”

“Yeah, it’s me,” Steve wanted so badly to tell the other boy not to cream his pants but he wasn’t sure how well a recall to _that_ night would go. Not when they’ve had the semblance of peace lately. 

“Did you bring all the nerds or just your son?”

Steve didn’t know how to take the mellow tone of Hargrove’s voice. It wasn’t taunting, it was more or less as if he was trying to actually get a genuine answer from Steve. 

“No, uh, just, just Dustin. He’s, he’s not my son,” he tries to sound indignant but failed. Spectacularly.

“He knows Max has a thing for Sinclair, right? Like, poor kid didn’t stand a chance.”

“What?” Steve looks at the other boy and takes his appearance in fully. 

He’s completely relaxed, leaning against the wall. He shrugged at Steve’s question, alternating his gaze from whatever he was looking at before Steve interrupted his solitude, and Steve himself. 

“Uh, look, man, I uh, _sorry_ ,” he says quietly and quickly. 

Steve’s almost certain he misheard the other boy but the way his shoulders hunch up just a touch lets Steve know he’d heard him correctly.

“Okay, um, I mean, no, it’s, it’s not okay that you threatened Lucas, but I get being angry, man. But you, that night, I, you weren’t really that mad at _me_ were you?” Steve hates how small he just sounded. Or how hopeful he is that the answer is no.

“Shit man, you just wanna jump right in?” Billy sighs, “Truth? Nah, not all of it was directed at you. But you gotta admit amigo, it’s kinda creepy and lot fucked up that I go looking for Max and find you with all of the nerds. And you lied man, to my face.”

Steve watches him drop his stub and then stomp on it with his boot. Watches as he reaches back into his jacket pocket and pulls out another smoke and lights it. He’s slightly shocked when the new cigarette is offered to him. 

He takes a hit. 

“You broke a plate on my head, dude. You beat me unconscious and I’m pretty sure that if Max hadn’t drugged you, you’d have killed me. Hopper still asks me if I want to press charges for whoever did that to me.”

“You didn’t tell him it was me?”

“I didn’t have to. The kids, he knows it’s you. Knows you stopped by looking for Max, how else would we have gotten your car?”

He takes another drag and passes it back. 

“You, you didn’t, you haven’t pressed charges?”

“Do you want me to?”

Steve doesn’t like that there’s hesitance in his entire body. 

“I’m fine man, I don’t, fortunately, there’s no permanent damage.”

“It’s not, it’s not fine, man. I never should’ve done that. Not, not to the kid and not, not to _you_.”

“Are you sorry? Do you actually regret it?” Steve asks. Trying and failing to not focus on the softness that infiltrated the last statement Billy had made. 

Steve motions for the smoke, eyes not leaving Billy Hargrove. Fingers mingle as the cigarette exchanges possession. 

Billy Hargrove nods. Eyes locked on Steve’s. 

Steve takes a long drag and offers it back to Billy.

“You’ve been doing alright keeping away from us as Max expects. I see no need to cry over spilled milk. Do you?” 

“ _Can I have this dance_?” Billy takes a drag and tosses the cigarette away, offering a hand out towards Steve.

“What?”

“Can I have this dance, Pretty Boy?”

Steve watches Billy nod his head up, the cracked windows where the faint sounds of the Snow Ball are trickling out into the night. 

Steve hates this song. Hates it every time it comes on the radio. Hates that it’s now going to become a school dance song, meaning any dance he attends between now and prom, and good lord, probably at prom, it’ll be played. 

“I don’t like this song, sorry,” he says to the other boy. 

“Humor me, please?” Billy asks, moving away from the wall and into Steve’s space. 

More or less giving him the non-option to accept the dance. 

Steve wants to tell him no. Wants to push the other boy away and ask him what the fuck is going on because why does he want to dance with Steve? 

Instead, he allows Billy into his space. Allows him to maneuver them into a rather intimate position for two high school boys to be in. 

He lets Billy lead them in small, shuffling circles. 

“Why are we doing this?” he whispers, not wanting to be too loud. 

He feels the shrug.

“Do you usually dance with other boys?” He’s not sure why he asks that.

“Not usually, no. At least not in public.”

He was expecting an answer even less. But that kind of answer has him immediately locking eyes with Billy. And wow, those are some pretty eyes. 

“Okay,” Steve says. 


	10. 4. Come here. Let Me Fix It.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve POV.

* * *

“Dude, you’re hopeless. Come here. Let me fix it.”

  
Steve stared at Hargrove. The younger boy gesturing for Steve to come closer. 

  
“You’d think a preppy boy like you would know how to properly tie a tie, but here we are,” Billy grumbled. 

  
Steve wasn’t sure if he was supposed to actually hear him say those words. He felt himself flush in embarrassment. It wasn’t his fault the old man only showed him like twice in his whole life how to do it. His mom surely wasn’t going to do it for him. 

  
“Uh, um, thanks,” he managed to say. 

  
Not sure what to do or where to look. It’s rather intimate, tying a tie for someone else. The boundaries of personal space that are crossed. The brushing of knuckles along his neck and throat as Billy fixes his tie for him. 

  
He can feel the body heat that rolls off the other boy. He did always say he runs hot. Steve never understood what that meant until now. There’s a warmth from being close to another person he hasn’t felt in a long time. 

  
He chances a glance at Billy, up close and personal. The younger boy has the tip of his tongue poking out between his lips, brows furrowed in complete concentration. Steve’s never noticed just how many freckles he has across his cheeks and nose.

  
Steve feels warmth all over suddenly.

  
He can’t look away. Watches Billy’s eyes move along, watching whatever his fingers are doing below Steve’s chin. 

  
“There yo—” Billy starts to say but then he looks up and their eyes meet.

  
They’re both frozen. Steve’s not sure why Billy’s frozen, but he knows he’s stuck because he doesn’t know if he wants to run away or kiss the other boy in front of him. He’s aiming towards running away because he has no idea where that latter idea came from. 

  
He feels his cheeks flame again. 

  
“I’ll see you around, Pretty Boy,” He watches Billy glance down at his lips before he feels him pat his cheek in a condescending manner before he walks away.


	11. 100. I Love You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve's POV  
> S3 divergent (I suppose)/AU (whichever you prefer)  
> The mall bit...with Billy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> apologies for being MIA, i was fighting the rona. i tested positive due to 1 person's choice and they impacted 13 other lives with their one dumb ass choice. see, it really isn't about you. in the words of my state's governor "Wear the damn mask!" and cover your freaking noses!  
> i'm on the mend! energy is slowly coming back to me. cough is lingering. like this is no joke y'all. my biggest win before getting the all clear to return to society, was being able to just STAND at my stove and cook some eggs. i hadn't been able to do that for over a week and a half. i couldn't stand long enough to cook something without losing my breath. grateful that i was able to fight it off at home with tylenol (they do not recommend motrin, iberufen, advil), rest (i slept for DAYS y'all, days), and lots of fluids. && the lovely folks in my life who said to hell with my inability to ask for help and made stuff appear at my door (i felt the love). let people care for you (it's very hard for me to do that). 
> 
> stay safe y'all! 
> 
> ***this is not a happy chapter...but it will attach to another one (or possibly two) so have some hope!!***

* * *

Steve was frozen to the spot. He wasn’t processing what he’d just witnessed. Billy had just fought the mind flayer with his bare hands. He fought back to protect El. Then he was—no. Not processing. 

  
Lucas grabbed him, told him to move, to come on. He let himself be tugged along, down the stairs to the lower level. Stumbled a few times as they made their way towards the cluster of their people. Their friends. Their loved ones. Their chosen family. 

  
He just stood there. Watched as Max and El held each other crying over a motionless Billy Hargrove. 

  
No! 

  
He’s not sure who yelled it out loud. It could’ve been him. He doesn’t know. However, the moment Max pulls away from El and glanced down at Billy and then searches out Steve and meets his eyes, and a new round of sobs escape her. Steve knows. He knows that Billy’s gone. 

  
His legs give out and he collapses to the ground. Robin’s on him in an instant. Pulling him into her arms and telling him it’s okay. Things will be okay.   
He just shakes his head. No, they won’t. 

  
How can they when Billy’s dead? 

  
Billy, who’d taught Steve to love again. To live again.   
Billy, who has so much love to give buried beneath the fortress erected around himself. Walls that he allowed Steve to climb over and crumble from the inside.   
Billy, who made Steve promise to keep them a secret. Out of fear of his father.   
Billy, who was actually fond of Max and had been working on their relationship. And not at Steve’s request.   
Billy, who made Max swear to secrecy when she’d stumbled upon them at the junkyard.

  
He doesn’t know how long it took for people to start showing up. He couldn’t take his eyes off of Billy’s body just lying there on the floor. The pool of dark, too dark, blood surrounding him, growing steadily as the sounds of sirens gets closer and closer. 

  
He doesn’t remember Joyce pulling him into her arms once she’s done checking on all the other kids. Doesn’t remember the tears running down her own cheeks. Something about Hop. Steve doesn’t want to count another loss. 

  
El searches him out though. Joyce lets her. Mike tries to get her to go with him, but she tells him no. Max disappeared before Steve got to check on her. 

  
“He was happy,” El says softly beside him. Both of them huddled in blankets provided by the ambulances. 

  
Steve’s not sure how many of the EMT’s surrounding them are actual EMT’s and not employees of the lab, but he doesn’t care. 

  
“You made him happy,” she adds after a moment. 

  
“Happy,” Steve whispers. He feels his chest tighten up, like he can’t breathe. Another round of tears dampens his cheeks. 

  
In an instant El’s right in front of him, her hands reaching out for him, cupping his face—almost how she’d just done with Billy minutes ago. 

  
“It’s okay. Be sad. It was love. Real love. You were both so happy,” she said. Firm and with a conviction that Steve would doubt if he didn’t know that she could actually read your thoughts, see your memories, and do whatever else that she’s capable of doing. 

  
Shit, Hopper. Joyce’s words slam into him like the impact of t-boning Billy’s car—Hop’s gone.

  
“Jim, El, I, are, what do you need?” 

  
She shakes her head, drops her hands from the sides of his face. He doesn’t hesitate to pull her in, hold her close. 

  
“We, you, you can come with me, to my house. So, so you’re not alone, if, if you want,” he manages to get out. She just nods against his chest. 

  
Joyce finds them wrapped around each other sometime later—Steve couldn’t tell you how long they both sat there mourning the ones they loved and lost tonight. 

  
“You guys are free to go, they’re uh, they’re letting us go home. Um, do, do you, you guys want me to take you back with us or do, do you have somewhere you’d like to go?”

  
El finally pulls back from Steve, not enough to leave their small embrace but enough to look at Joyce.

  
“Steve’s,” she says. 

  
Joyce glances at Steve and he just nods. He’s not going to argue with the girl who’d just lost the first positive father figure in her life. Joyce doesn’t seem like she’s going to argue either. She just comes a little closer to put her arms around both of them and press kisses to their heads before gesturing for them to follow her. 

  
Steve’s on autopilot. He doesn’t recall greeting Will or even Jonathan. Doesn’t know how he fits in Joyce’s little car. He does let Will and El cuddle each other on the way to his house. Jonathan walks them up to his front door. 

  
He doesn’t remember much of what happened after he and El closed his front door behind themselves. But he’s startled awake a while later by knocking on the door. He glances around and finds El sleeping on the other end of the couch, her toes tucked under his leg. 

  
He doesn’t know what time it is, just that it’s still too dark to be daytime, but too light to be nighttime. He gets to his feet and goes to the door, whoever’s there knocked three more times between him getting up and opening the door.

It’s Max. 

  
He opens the door wider, allowing her inside. She glances around before putting her arms around Steve’s middle. He instinctually puts his own arms around her. He feels her shaking—she’s crying he realizes. 

  
He lets her. 

  
They stay that way for a while. Long enough to where there is enough light coming through the windows to indicate morning has arrived. 

  
The sun still rises and Billy’s dead. 

  
“I’m sorry, so sorry,” he hears from his abdomen. 

  
“What?”

  
“I, you, you lost Billy too,” she says, tightening her arms for just a moment before pulling away and look up at him. 

  
“Does, does your mom, does she know where you are?”

  
“No! It’s, it’s like they, they don’t even care! Mom was more worried about me than about, about the fact that Billy,” she chokes on a breath, “they just took him! I don’t, nobody told me, or, or Mom, or even Neil, they, they just took his body away and I don’t, we, why don’t we get to say goodbye?”

  
“Let’s, let’s go sit down, do you, you want some water or anything?”

  
Max let’s go and heads to the living room, El meets them in the entryway. Steve watches as they just stare at each other before all but leaping into each other’s arms.   
He knows what Max means though. And from what Billy had shared with him about home, Steve, Max, and El would be the only ones to truly mourn Billy’s loss. 

  
He gives the girls a moment and turns towards his kitchen. He should probably make them food. Even if they don’t feel like eating anything they should try. 

  
He busies himself with making them eggs and toast. Simple but filling. He brings the girls their plates. The three of them sit together on the couch, quietly and slowly making their ways through their plates of food. He doesn’t comment that none of them were able to empty their plates. 

  
Nobody says much. He listens as the girls intermittently comfort each other. Max also recognizes El’s loss of Hopper. 

  
The phone rings when the sun has long since cast long shadows across the living room and evening’s starting to settle in. The outside lights are starting to pop on around the house. 

  
“Hello,” Steve says after the sixth ring. No one moved fast enough to catch it within the first three.

  
“Is, is this Steve Harrington?”

  
Steve knows the voice on the other end of the line. He wants to yell at her. Wants to know why she’s just now realizing her daughter’s been missing for nearly a whole day. Especially nearly an entire day after her brother was killed. 

  
“Yes, hello.”

  
“Is, is Max there, with you?” she asks quietly. Steve’s not sure what to make of the tone that she just took on. 

  
“She is.”

  
“Can, oh goodness,” she takes a few shaky breaths, almost as if she’s trying to not cry, “can you, have her call home when she’s ready, please? I, we, I, I got a call a little bit ago. About B-bi-Bil-Billy. About Billy.”

  
Steve’s own breath hitches in his throat. 

  
“No problem, Mrs. Hargrove.” He forces out. He doesn’t know what else to say.

  
“Uh, I, Steve,” she pauses and goes even quieter than before, “thank, um, it’s not, not my place, but I want, thank you. Thank you for helping her right now, and more, more importantly, for making Billy happy.”

  
Steve slams the phone down onto the receiver. He glances at the girls before he slides down the wall beside him. 

  
He’s freaking out. He knows he is. He feels it all over his body. He’s tense and he can’t catch a breath. He feels antsy and heavy all at the same time.   
He knows the girls have approached him. He knows they’re both touching his arms, one apiece. They’re saying his name, but he can’t, he can’t focus. 

  
_For making Billy happy._

  
She knew. She knew and didn’t tell Neil. Didn’t tell anyone. 

  
He’s immediately taken back to the night of their fight, the one that, the night before everything changed. 

  
_“She’s just a friend from work!”_

  
_“You mean to tell me that Heather’s just a friend? The way she looks at you, the way you wink back. And don’t even get me started on your fan club of, of mothers that make eyes at you all day!”_

  
_“So, you’re jealous.”_

  
_“What? No. I just, it, ugh,” Steve sighs and runs a hand through his hair._

  
_“I get it. Uh, thanks, I guess. For sticking it out this long, Pretty Boy,” Billy says sadly._

  
_“What are you talking about?”_

  
_“Look, you’re not my first boyfriend. I, I know it’s a lot to ask someone to keep it under wraps. Hide and sneak around. Lie to everyone. It takes its toll. I get it. You’re, you, you’ve reached your limit. I have to respect that.”_

  
_“You think I’m breaking up with you?” Steve asks a little breathless._

  
_Billy freezes, both boys realizing the gross misunderstanding in this moment._

  
_“Aren’t you?”_

  
_“No! Jesus, Billy, you think, you think I’d just toss you to the side like this? I’m, I’m sorry if I made you feel like that.”_

  
_‘Then what’s the problem?”_

  
_“Okay, yeah, maybe, I, I guess I am jealous. I’m jealous that fucking Karen Wheeler can flirt with you in front of everyone. Heather can make eyes at you. But we, I, I have to pretend you’re nothing more than a friend if we’re not behind closed doors or away from nosey people.”_

  
_“I don’t want him to hurt you,” Billy all but growls out, pulling Steve to him._

  
_“I’m not afraid of your dad, dude. He doesn’t scare me.”_

  
_“He should,” Billy says so softly that Steve’s sure he’s not supposed to hear that._

  
_Steve pulls back from Billy and looks him in the eye, “Billy, look at me, please?”_

  
_Billy immediately meets his gaze._

  
_“_ **I love you** _. That’s what I was trying to tell you but we all know how good at words I am.”_

  
_“You love me?”_

  
_“Undoubtedly. Yes,” Steve says with no hesitation._

  
_He watches Billy. Watches the fear grasp him before he takes a few shaky breaths and lets it sink in that Steve’s not joking. Watches his eyes widen before they soften._

  
_His smile is blinding._

  
“He never said it back did he?” El asks from his side. He glances down at her and shakes his head. He knows she didn’t mean to look.

  
“He did, you know,” Max says from his other side. “He loved you, so much.”

  
Steve just cries, letting the girls hold him up and offer their support. 

  
“He kept you from him. He fought so hard to keep you out of its reach,” El says after a while. “I saw it. It tried to come for you but he always chose someone else. He, he didn’t let it come for you.”

  
He knows she means it as a comfort and on some level it does, but it hurts too much right now. 

  
_Billy’s smile is intoxicating and luring and all Steve can do is pull him in for a kiss._

  
_Billy immediately gets with the program, wrapping his arms around Steve, pressing himself closer._

  
_When they pull apart, breathless, foreheads resting against each other’s, Billy smiles again, and in a breathless whisper, “Me too.”_


	12. 2. It Reminded Me of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy POV
> 
> S2-ish.   
> Def AU-ish.
> 
> Barb's alive. Robin's mentioned.

“Oh, shit, dude, you’ve got a secret admirer!”

  
Billy shoved Tommy away as they both stared into his locker. 

  
Sitting on top of his stack of books was a small box, and his name written in all caps. Blocky so definitely not a girl’s handwriting. He hoped he’d be the only one to recognize that little clue. 

  
He quickly shrugs and pockets the box. Definitely not opening it in front of Tommy and Carol. They’re going to give him enough shit as it is. 

  
“Oh, that’s sweet, someone likes Billy. Too bad he’s not interested in relationships,” Carol’s voice interrupted his thoughts. 

  
“Dude, come on, open it up!” 

  
“No can-do amigo, you are not me, and this is mine,” he tries to play it off as a joke. 

  
The bell signals, letting them know they have a few minutes to get to their next class. He waves them off. He has English and they have History. Well Carol has History and Tommy has Math, but they’re near the same hall so they leave Billy to his own devices. 

  
He swaps out his books and slams his locker and heads towards his class, the box hitting against his thigh with each step. Reminding him of its presence. Someone took the time to do this. 

  
He makes his way to his seat, the very last seat in the very last row. He nods to Holland. He doesn’t mind her but he’s not going to broadcast it. She’s smart and they snark back and forth when class gets too dull. Both of them are too smart for this class but this is junior-level literature so here they are. 

  
He waits until Mrs. Shrewsbury is droning on about whatever they’re currently reading before he shifts to dig the box out of his pocket. 

  
It’s a little worse for wear having been crunched up in his pocket and tight jeans, but he still feels a little warm on the inside. He’s soft. He knows this about himself. His reputation be damned. 

  
BILLY.

  
It looks familiar, the handwriting, but he can’t place it. He realizes that it’s a small piece of paper folded in half and opens it up: **_IT REMINDED ME OF YOU_**. It’s the same block letters as his name. 

  
“Ooh, someone’s got a present!” he hears softly to his right. 

  
“You know this handwriting?” he whispers back, showing her the note. 

  
She smirks and he knows that she knows who it is. She shakes her head _no_.

  
“Liar,” he tells her.

  
“If you can’t figure it out by the end of the day, I’ll tell you, promise,” she offers. 

  
He stares at her for a moment and then nods, “deal,” he says. 

  
He glances around before he opens the box. He’s glad he’s sitting down. Glad he’s at the back of the classroom so the only person who can remotely see in the box is Barbara, and possibly Maxwell if he turned around. 

  
He wants to smile. Like a dopey ass grin because he knows he’s soft for the attention. He hopes this isn’t some joke. 

  
But he likes the ring sitting in the box. It’s a silver thing, a near-perfect circle except for the flat edge that’s supposed to sit on the top of his finger. It’ll blend right in with the two he already wears on his hand. 

  
“That’s a bold gift, giving you a ring from the get-go,” he hears Barbara say. He flips her off before picking up the ring and testing which finger it’ll fit on. He has one on his pinky and another on his thumb. This one fits onto his index finger perfectly. 

  
He flexes his hand a few times, admiring the new addition to his hand. 

  
“You really recognize the handwriting?” 

  
“Fortunately for you, I do, but we made a deal Hargrove. _End_ _of the day_.”

  
They smile softly at each other before turning their attention to class. 

  
Billy tucks the paper into his pocket, tosses the box in the trash on his way out of class. He salutes Barbara as she nods when they part ways. She’s off to AP Social Studies with Wheeler and he’s off to math. 

  
“Nice hardware,” Byers says to him when he takes his seat at their table.

  
He just nods in response. He doesn’t miss the small smirk Byers gives his hand before digging out his pencil from his backpack and completely ignoring Billy. 

  
Billy hates that he tries to catch the other boy writing. Not that he’d _want_ it to be Byers giving him something because he saw it and thought of him. He’s just curious now.

He’d like to figure it out on his own rather than deal with the smugness Barbara will no doubt give him if she’s got to tell him who gave it to him. 

  
It’s not Byers. Thank fuck. But he wonders if he knows. Byers hangs out with Wheeler and Barbara. 

  
He pulls the paper out of his pocket and only shows his name. Doesn’t want to be any more embarrassed than he is just showing the thing to Byers.

  
“Hey man, do you, do you recognize this handwriting?” 

  
“Yeah, that’s, oh wait. I can’t tell you.”

  
“What the fuck dude!”

  
“I will say that if you don’t return the feelings, don’t make it worse.”

  
“You know who it is? Barb knows and won’t tell me.”

  
Billy hates the look on Byers’ face. 

  
“If it’s any help, I think you two would be good for each other,” the other boy says before turning back to their worksheet. 

  
No help at all. Billy sighs and loses himself in the mindless work that is their worksheet for the day. 

  
“It’s a dude, isn’t it? That’s why both of you are being all squirrelly about this.”

  
He hadn’t meant to blurt that out in a whisper between him and Byers, but it’s what made sense. He knew it was a dude’s handwriting. He might be a giant asshole but he’s not _that_ kind of an asshole. 

  
“That a problem?” Byers’ tone suggested that Billy answer very honestly. 

  
“No, I, I figured it wasn’t a chick writing my name like that.”

  
“Good to know.”

  
The bell rang and Byers was up and out the door before Billy could say anything. 

  
Billy didn’t want to get his hopes up. The one person Byers and Barbara had in common, outside of Wheeler, is the whole damn high school. Billy knew these people grew up with each other since elementary school days. 

  
His old school out in California had over eighteen-hundred students, Hawkins only had maybe half of that. And not a single one of these small-town boys seemed to be inclined to showcasing their attraction to other boys. 

  
He’d pegged a few that were definitely interested, but Billy understood what being in the closet meant. Especially when a lot of the dads here seemed to be similar in mindset to his old man. 

  
Who was Billy kidding? He knew that the one person that both Barbara and Byers had in common was Wheeler’s ex-boyfriend, Harrington. And Billy would eat fucking dirt if that preppy princess was the one who gifted him the ring. 

  
Harrington with his stupid hair and eyes you could easily get lost staring into. He didn’t have classes with Harrington because he was a senior. They only had basketball together and even then, most of Billy’s attention was _not_ on names written on clothes. 

  
He made it to his locker to swap out his books and grab the brown bag lunch Susan made for him. She’s always putting lunches for him and Max on the counter before they leave for school. 

  
There’s a note on top of his books. Folded paper with his name in the same handwriting as the paper in his pocket. He hates that he can feel his ears burning, his cheeks following suit. He has a reputation and being soft for a secret admirer is not part of that agenda. 

  
IM GLAD YOU LIKE YOUR RING. IT SUITS YOU.  
PS: I LIKE YOUR SMILE WHEN YOU THINK NOONE CAN SEE YOU.

  
Billy immediately crumples the note and shoves it in his locker. Doing his best to not smile his little smile. Goddammit! 

  
He snatches the brown bag and heads to the cafeteria. He meets up with Carol on the way. Tommy’s already in line to grab them all milk. 

  
“That’s a nice addition, was that what was in the box?” She asks him quietly once they sit down at their usual table. She looks down with her eyes, not drawing attention. 

  
She’s not as obnoxious as he’d originally thought she was. She’s turning out to be a good not quite friend but more than an acquaintance. 

  
He nods, emptying his lunch. Another ham and cheese sandwich, a bag of chips, and an apple. Susan is predictable and reliable. 

  
“You have any idea who it is? Anyone, in particular, you’d want it to be?”

  
He knows she’s fishing, and not completely in that friendly way. She wants gossip. 

  
“I had a letter waiting for me in my locker.”

  
He doesn’t know why he tells her that. But she grins and he can’t help but roll his eyes. This town is fucking up his reputation and he’s not as bothered by that as he once was. 

  
“Ooh, so a gift and a letter, how romantic! You still haven’t answered me. Any ideas?”

  
Chocolate milk appears in front of him, attached to Tommy’s hand and arm as he walks around to sit beside Carol.

  
“Thanks, man,” he says.

  
He ignores their kiss in greeting each other as he takes a bite of his sandwich and glances around the cafeteria. He sees Barbara, sitting with Wheeler and Byers. She nods at him and he nods back. 

  
“Did you get the letter?” Tommy asks.

  
“You know who it is?” Billy asks.

  
Tommy laughs, “Not exactly, but some random sophomore chick asked me to put it in your locker.”

  
“Holland and Byers know the handwriting.”

  
He misses the look Carol and Tommy give each other. 

  
“You cheating on us, Billy? That’s not nice,” Carol jests. 

  
“No babe, it’s sweet, look at Billy, making friends,” Tommy coos. 

  
“Fuck both of you,” Billy says around his mouth of apple. 

  
“Just say when, sweetie,” Carol remarks with a wink.

  
“So, it’s not either of them, right?” Tommy questions.

  
Billy shakes his head. Carol smirks.

  
“So, then it’s either Nancy or Steve,” Tommy states.

  
“How do you figure that?” 

  
Tommy shrugs, “They’re always together, they’d recognize each other’s handwriting. I know both of yours.”

  
Carol starts laughing, “Oh my god, I know who it is! This is precious and I approve.”

  
Billy watches her a moment. She’s not going to tell him. What the hell? His only consolation is that Tommy looks just as confused.

  
Tammy and Tina sit down next to Carol and they sweep her up in conversation. He’s definitely not going to talk about this situation with the two biggest gossiping cows this school has ever seen. He glances back to where Barbara and Byers are sitting. Harrington and some blonde chick have joined them now. 

  
He freezes the moment Harrington glances up and it’s like their eyes meet across the cafeteria. He’s just staring, like a moron. But Harrington’s just staring too. Blondie nudges Harrington and their moment is broken just like that. 

  
He feels the corners of his mouth turn just a little upwards, a small smile. Barely noticeable. He hopes. 

  
Game Plan: find Harrington with books in his hands and knock them out so he can help him pick them up and get a look at his handwriting. 

  
“I can just ask him, you know?” He hears from across the table. 

  
He looks at Tommy and raises his brow. 

  
“Steve. I, I can ask him if he put stuff in your locker. It’s, it sounds like the kind of thing he’d do. He tries to be romantic with the people he likes.”

  
Billy just stares at him. 

  
New Game Plan: Let Tommy ask Harrington. 


	13. 28. Drive Safely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuation from Chapter 6.
> 
> Steve's POV  
> Some slight Canon AU
> 
> See endnote for potential triggers. I don't think they're that big of a thing, but I also don't want to put anyone who is lightly put-out to feel some kind of way if they read this without a warning of some kind.

* * *

Steve was a nervous wreck, so naturally, he’d brought a joint to help calm his nerves while he waited to see if Billy would show or not. He hoped he would. But he wasn’t going to get his hopes up.

  
Max hinted that should Steve want to actually throw himself at Billy, Billy might not be completely as against it as one would assume him to be.   
But that was still a huge chance Steve had to take. Putting himself out there like that. In more ways than one. 

  
He knows on some level he’s not just into girls. Rich kids are assholes of the highest order and he’s been on enough family ski trips in the winter, and a few summers in the Northeast to know that sometimes a warm body is a warm body and money really can buy discretion if worse comes to worst. 

  
He hears a few cars in the distance. He knows that Billy’s Camaro has its own sound and he’d hear him long before he saw him, but he still got antsy whenever an older truck or another older car passed the quarry’s entrance. 

  
He’s just about finished with his blunt when he hears that familiar rumbling purr of Billy’s car. He’s got the good stuff so he’s already starting to feel mellowed out.   
He’s doing his best to manifest the whole notion of it is what it is. The only unfortunate side effect he gets when he smokes is that it’s a 50/50 if he gets horny. He’s hoping he doesn’t because this whole situation could go sideways and fighting a boner’s not high on his list of things to do this evening. 

  
He doesn’t turn to watch Billy approach, he just leans back on his windshield as he was, and just listens. Listens as the car slows to a near crawl as Billy makes his way over towards Steve. He expected the younger boy to park a bit away, but he pulled up right next to Steve’s bimmer. 

  
Steve didn’t hear the tell-tale of heavy metal blasting and glanced over at the other boy. He felt his entire body flash hot—Billy had headphones on. Was, was he listening to Steve? 

  
Steve turned to him once he heard the car door open and feet hit the ground. Headphones were now looped around Billy’s neck. Steve bit his lip and nodded in greeting. 

  
He didn’t know what to say. What do you say in a situation like this? 

  
He doesn’t think just blurting out he thinks Billy’s pretty and would love nothing more than to have Billy stick his tongue down Steve’s throat, or maybe hands in each other’s pants and possibly choke on Billy’s dick. Maybe have Billy pound him into his own mattress. Or maybe watch Billy bounce up and down on his dick. He’s not particular. He has the feeling that Billy would either take complete charge or be a bratty little shit. No in-between. And Steve just wants all of it. Ah, shit, horny’s making its presence known. Oh well, he’ll just go with it. 

  
“Uh, thanks, man. It’s uh, you’re pretty talented. I, I didn’t know that about you,” Billy said in greeting, waving the walk-man. 

  
Steve shrugged, “Most people don’t.”

  
Billy tilts his head to the side and Steve knows what he’s going to ask before he utters a word.

  
“Did Wheeler get one?”

  
“No.” 

  
“Oh.”

  
Steve shrugs again, “I never even played an instrument in front of her.”

  
“ _Oh_.” 

  
Steve nods as if that explains everything. “Uh, you’re here, so what’s it gonna be? You here to beat the shit out of me or we actually going to talk?”

  
“I’m not, I’m not good with the talking.”

  
“ _But_?” Steve prompts. 

Billy comes closer, gestures if he can sit next to Steve on the hood. Of course, he can sit here.

  
“But I’m finding myself wanting to give it a try.” 

  
Steve can’t help the small smile that erupts on his face. It gets wider when he realizes that Billy’s cheeks are rosy. 

  
“Uh, well, did, did you like it? The tape?”

  
Billy nods, “Yes. I, nobody’s, I mean I’ve, I made ‘em before but not, not like that, just recording from the radio or a double deck. What I mean is, uh, no, nobody’s, no one, no one’s ever done that for me. Before.”

  
“I figured if I was going to go out on such a massive limb, I was going to go big. The worst you could do is out me, beat me up again, and ruin my already shit reputation.”

  
“How, how would this work, Pretty Boy? Hawkins doesn’t strike me as a queer-friendly kinda place.”

  
“I know how to be discreet, dude. Been doing it since I was like thirteen.”

“So, you’re familiar with the whole friends or strangers in public thing?”

  
“Yeah, not my first rodeo, Hargrove.”

  
“Except I heard how clingy you were with Wheeler. Making out in the hallway, walking her to class, carrying her books. Proper boyfriend material.”

  
“You jealous you wouldn’t get the whole boyfriend-Steve experience?” Steve smirks and then turns a little more towards Billy. “You know, this would be part of it. Parking. I have done that a time or two. I’ve had minimal complaints.”

  
“You’ve had complaints?”

“Mostly disappointment that we couldn’t go further than just some heavy petting and exceptional kissing. There was a reason you heard of me as _King_ Steve.”

  
Steve lives for the way Billy’s eyes dart to his lips and then even quicker further down before meeting Steve’s again. 

  
“So, what was your plan? Give me a mix-tape and hope for the best?” Billy asks, sounding as if he’s trying, and failing, to maintain his composure. 

  
“Mmm, I hadn’t hoped for the best. You’d either come, or you wouldn’t. I did have it on pretty good authority that you would be a semi-sure thing if I asked you to meet me like this. And voila, here you are.”

  
“You don’t even know me. Why, what do you even like about me? Can’t be much because I haven’t been the kindest of fellas towards you.”

  
Billy’s a little uncomfortable. Steve has mixed feelings about that. 

  
“I know enough to spark an interest. Besides, isn’t that the point of parking and spending time together, to get to know you better?”

  
“That is not the point of parking!”

  
“Would you be opposed to it?”

  
“Right now?”

  
Steve will always adore the little hitch in Billy’s voice just then. 

  
“Only if you want to. I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable. I like you any way you’ll let me have you. If that’s just as friends, so be it. If that’s as nothing more than fuck buddies, alright. If it’s the whole shebang, fantastic. It’s your choice. Entirely.”

  
He watches Billy watch him. Watches as his forehead creases, his eyes are trying to read Steve. 

  
“My choice?”

  
Steve nods, “I’m an asshole, but I’m not _that_ kind of asshole. Trust me, if I were, you’d be flat on your back and someone would be choking on someone’s dick. I can do quick and dirty with a big ol’ side of discreet. I can do soft and slow and full of all the good things you think you don’t deserve. I can do a little of both because sometimes it really is the best of both worlds. But like I said, it’s all up to you. _You_ have all the power here, Billy.”

  
“I could tell you to fuck off and never talk to me again and you’d do it? Whatever I said?”

  
Steve half-smirks. He can work with this. Billy’s trying to protect himself. It’s cute. 

  
“Whatever you say goes, Hargrove.”

  
“What happened to Billy?”

  
“I mean, I can still call you Billy, if you want me to. I just thought with the direction you were taking this conversation we’d be parting ways sooner rather than later.”

  
“Can, can we agree on trying? I can’t, I can’t make any promises that I don’t know if I can keep.”

  
“As long as it’s what you want. I told you, you’re in control here,” Steve says, pressing himself closer into Billy’s personal space. 

  
“We, we can, we can try.”

  
Steve grins before closing the distance between them and pressing a kiss to the corner of Billy’s mouth. When he pulls back he can tell that Billy’s the tiniest bit disappointed it wasn’t a full press of lips kiss. 

  
“I like that answer,” he says with a smile. He lifts his left hand up towards Billy, his right keeping his balance between them. He gently twists a stray curl around his fingers and presses another small, soft kiss along Billy’s jaw. He repeats the small kisses until he’s brushed just enough of the curls away from Billy’s ear and presses a kiss on the soft skin just behind it. 

  
He loves the small body shudder Billy gives at that small press of lips. He pulls back and looks him the eye, “You okay? That okay?”

  
Billy nods, looks at Steve. 

  
A small beep interrupts them, Steve glances down at his watch. It’s nine.

  
“We have an hour before we have to get the children. Anything you’d like to do to kill the time?”

  
Billy chokes on his spit, splutters trying to get something out that Steve couldn’t make out. 

  
“Wanna try that again, big guy?”

  
“What uh, what did you have in mind?”

  
Steve grins, showing his teeth; “You mean when I mentioned one of us choking on someone’s dick? Or me taking my sweet, slow time, tasting every single inch of your body before one of us is bouncing on someone’s dick?”

  
“Steve,” Billy all but whines. Neither of them will ever admit how quickly that shot a rush of _needwant_ south. 

  
“Your call, Billy. I told you that. You can have whatever you want.”

  
“Anhour’snotenoughtime,” Billy rushes out.

  
“Aw, sweetheart, not enough time for what? What do you want?”

  
Steve enjoys watching Billy war with himself. He can tell the other boy wants to be in control, call the shots, make Steve do anything and everything he says, but he also wants to feel all of those soft, sweet things he doesn’t think he deserves. Steve knows he can give him both. Billy just has to figure it out that he can have it all. 

  
Steve pulled away and slid off his hood, motioned for Billy to do the same.

  
“Put the blanket down between our cars,” he tells Billy. Watches as Billy just goes with it. 

  
He moves to fold his legs beneath him, motioning Billy to join him down on the blanket. Shifting him until he’s lying down on his back and Steve’s leaning over him.

  
“Now, tell me what we don’t have enough time for? What is it that you want?” Steve asks again, fingers playing in Billy’s hair. 

  
“Don’t,” Billy starts, fighting the urge to turn his head into Steve’s touch, his fingers carding through his curls, and be honest. 

  
“Don’t what, Billy?”

  
“Don’t call me sweetheart.”

  
“Why not?”

  
“I don’t, I, I’m, I’m not,” he trails off.

  
“Not what? Sweet? Oh, I know that. Doesn’t mean that I can’t call you pet names. Plus, I think it’s wonderful how you react whenever I say your name, or when I call you _Sweetheart_. Oh, you just did it again.”

  
Steve could see the flush on Billy, watched as it spread down from his cheeks, down across his chest. The boy really shouldn’t have all of that skin on display if he blushes so easily.

  
“Shit, Harrington, if you’re just going to tease, I’ll head out now.”

  
Steve smirked down at Billy. The younger boy really was trying to appear with his usual bravado, but like this, looking down at him, Steve could see how much he was actually into their current situation. 

  
“See, I don’t think you will,” he says softly between them, lowering himself closer to Billy. Shifting so he’s straddling one of Billy’s thighs, back arched so they’re not touching—on purpose. 

  
“You’re enjoying this. You like this. Being here with me. Like this. You may call the shots but _I_ know what you _need_. I can _read_ you. Your eyes are telling me that you’re aroused, excited, and you’re just a _touch_ desperate. Your breaths tell me you’re trying to calm yourself down. From what?   
“That you want this? You want me? You’re trying to unclench. Just relax, Sweetheart. I’ve got you. No one can see us, not here. Not right now. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I won’t let anything happen to you. Now, tell me what you think we don’t have time for?”

  
Billy shakes his head. Steve knows he’s hit a nerve. He smiles.

  
“Fine. Have it your way,” Steve says and quickly gets up and steps away from where Billy’s watching him from the ground. “I told you I’m not that kind of asshole. I won’t take anything you’re not willing to give. I hate that look on your face that tells me there have been people who have.”

  
Steve watches as Billy shuts his eyes. He’s ashamed. Embarrassed. 

  
“Hey, that’s on them. That says nothing about you, Billy.” Steve watches as Billy’s entire demeanor shifts. His walls are back up. Sturdy. In place. 

  
“Thought you said someone would be choking on someone’s dick?”

  
“That was before you thought I’d force you do anything you don’t want to,” Steve said with a shrug. 

  
“You said you could tell I wanted it,” Billy’s voice cracks just the tiniest bit. 

  
Steve’s stomach flips. 

  
“You’re right, I read you like an open book. I wasn’t wrong, we both know that. But you know I can’t accept anything you say now as legit consent. How will I know you mean it? You’re not just saying something you think I want to hear?”

  
“This, this isn’t, this isn’t what I expected to happen,” Billy said in a tone that let Steve know they were reaching his limit. His anger was going to rear its ugly head soon and they both needed to be very careful about what happens next. 

  
“Keep the tape. Do whatever you want with it. I’m, I’m gonna go. You take care. **_Drive safely_** , Billy Hargrove.”  
Steve walked off. Walked away from Billy, who was still just lying down, looking up at Steve. 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Steve smokes a joint, right from the get-go. 
> 
> Consent is spoken of, in both regards to it being given and it not.
> 
> Billy is uncomfortable but only because he's emotionally stunted and doesn't know how to adequately process the shit that happens to him.


	14. 7. I Dreamt About You Last Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve's POV  
> Post S3.
> 
> Steve says goodbye to Billy.

“ _I dreamt about you last night_ ,” Steve says with a small sigh. Back pressed against the cool stone, fingers twisting and pulling at the grass he’s sitting on. 

  
“It, it was the first, shit man, the first time you ever kissed me. Or, or I kissed you because you chickened out but I’d caught on,” he says with a small smile, “You, you were such a dork that night.”

_“Alright, alright, I’m coming, I’m coming!” Steve yelled at the front door. What kind of asshole keeps ringing the doorbell?_

_“Special delivery,” he heard when he opened the door._

_There Billy Hargrove stood on his doorstep with a pizza in hand and a six-pack tucked under his other arm. He lets him in and shuts the door behind him. Leaning against it, letting it hold him up as he looks over the other boy._

_“What, did you think that just because we both worked today, I’d forget our Tuesday night tradition, Pretty Boy?”_

_“I mean, yeah, but, not, not because of that. Because you seemed pretty keen on accepting Heather’s dinner request. I, I wouldn’t, you don’t, you’re not obligated to be here.”_

_“Princess, Steve, hey, I, I’m right where I want to be,” Billy says with a small smile._

_“Okay,” Steve nods, “Okay. Uh, I’ll go get some napkins if you want to go get set up in the living room. You, you need anything else?”_

_“Just you, Pretty Boy.”_

_Steve rolls his eyes and heads to his kitchen. He knows Billy doesn’t really mean it, he’s just a natural flirt. It doesn’t ever matter who’s on the other end of it. He flirts with everyone._

_Billy chose Creepshow, knowing how jumpy films like that make Steve._

_Steve sits down on one end of the couch, noting that Billy had already popped open a can for him and the pizza box was open, waiting for Steve to choose the first slice. That was kind of thoughtful if Steve were to ever admit such a thing._

_“I hope you’re ready, we’re going to finish this one. You only have like three more stories to get through. And hey, I’ll be right here,” Billy says, taking a seat in the middle of the couch, closer than he usually sits._

_Steve just huffs and takes a long swig of his beer._

_They make it through two beers apiece, and just about half the pizza before Steve realizes he’s slowly shifted towards Billy._

_When they reach the climax of the last story Steve buries his face in Billy’s shoulder. He doesn’t pull back until Billy tells him the credits are rolling._

_When he does, he looks up and into Billy’s face, which is right there. The whole atmosphere changed in an instant._

_Steve knows he wants nothing more than to move forward and press his lips to Billy’s but he’s not an idiot, well not about this._

_But he watches Billy’s eyes dart down to his own mouth, not once, but twice. Billy moves just slightly as if he stopped himself from pressing all the way forward so they could kiss._

_Steve doesn’t hesitate, he shifts and presses his lips to Billy’s._

_It’s a quick press and he pulls back just as fast._

_They just stare at each other._

_And then they smile. Mirroring big grins._

“You, you didn’t think I meant it, but I, I proved you wrong.” Steve closed his eyes and tilted his head back against the stone at his back. Letting the sun wash over him, fill him with some warmth. 

“I, I hate this. I hate everything about it. And I can’t, I can’t stay here anymore. I uh, I came to tell you goodbye actually.”

Steve could feel his eyes sting with that building up of his tears.

“I’ll, I’ll visit. I can’t, I wouldn’t be able to stay away from you forever, but, I can’t, this isn’t good for me.”

He lets his tears fall, roll down his cheeks. He lets himself be sad. This is his hardest goodbye. 

He gets up and dusts his pants off, presses a kiss to his fingers before pressing them to the stone that reads Here lies William Hargrove. 

“Goodbye, Billy.”


End file.
